Deliverables A prototype instrumented frontal impact dummy (THOR-FT), based on the THOR-alpha design, 50th percentile male A frontal impact dummy, THOR-FT (50th percentile) with realistic movements and injury indicating measurements, durability, and repeatability is developed. In October 1998 the first European Frontal Directive became effective. The protection offered by a vehicle is based on biomechanical data measured on the Hybrid-III crash test dummy. The Hybrid-III crash dummy is not sufficiently able to assess the protection offered to the occupant during a frontal impact and does not reflect the current biomechanical knowledge. In the United States a THOR was developed as to succeed the Hybrid-III dummy. Testing if the THOR in the ADRIA project (Advanced crash Dummy for Injury Assessment frontal test conditions) indicated that the THOR should be updated. The THOR-alpha an updated THOR dummy became available in 2001, and was evaluated within this Project. The THOR-FT is an updated THOR-alpha dummy and is suitable for inclusion in the Frontal Directive. Protocol for accident analysis A protocol for the proposed accident analysis and a questionnaire, which defines all parameters for the analysis, has been developed. Accidents with and without airbag deployment and driver and passenger occupants were taken into consideration. Two databases were used, the UK Co-operative Crash Injury Study (CCIS) database and the database of the Medical University of Hanover (Germany). The analysis was performed looking at both occupant perceptive (which examines the worst injuries on the body as a whole and by body region for each occupant) and an injury perspective (where all the injuries in the have occurred). The results were presented in two separate reports and presented at a workshop. The results allowed the injury types for each body region to be identified and injury risk by body region to be established. The difference in the injuries that can be attributed to airbag, seat belt restraint systems was also investigated. The results of the accident analysis will be used to better define requirements, injury assessment values and the instrumentation necessary for a frontal impact dummy. New biomechanical data concerning the behaviour of the human thorax/shoulder, pelvis/femur/knee and the lower leg during frontal impacts. The assessment of the protection to a restrained occupant offered by a vehicle in case of frontal collision, is based on biomechanical data measured on the Hybrid-III crash test dummy. This dummy was developed in seventies and is based on biomechanical knowledge from that time. Although the dummy has been changed since then, it is not sufficiently able to assess the protection offered to the vehicle occupant and does not reflect current biomechanical knowledge (c.f. ADRIA European Project, 2000). With the development of new restraint devices (airbags, load limited belts) it is necessary to evaluate the human response to a frontal impact for these new boundary conditions, in order to provide the most recent biomechanical knowledge for the development of the new frontal impact dummy. In the FID project, biomechanical tests were performed to fill the gaps in the biomechanical knowledge on human body behaviour during frontal impacts. This biomechanical data focused mainly on the shoulder/thorax, the pelvis/femur/knee and on the lower leg (ankle/foot) response behaviour. Real world accident statistics analysis demonstrates that these body segments are those of the body regions of vehicle occupants injured most severely and most frequently in frontal accidents. The obtained biomechanical data, completed with a bibliographic study, allowed to propose a set of response requirements to assess the biofidelity of an anthropomorphic Frontal Impact Dummy to the EEVC. The results of these new biomechanical tests will be implemented in the future European biomechanical test database open to the Advanced Passive Safety Network of Excellence. The dissemination of this new knowledge will be made through scientific publications and conferences. Exploitable results Improved front impact protection Frontal collisions produce the highest frequency in fatalities and injuries in road accidents, the costs to the European society alone being more than EUR 160 billion each year. Even though the European Frontal Directive became effective only in 1998, further research is required to better assess the protection offered to car occupants in frontal impacts. An important motive for this is found in the current Hybrid-III crash test dummy that has shown important deficiencies in human likeness and injury assessment capabilities. The 'Improved frontal impact protection through a world frontal impact dummy' (FID) project aimed to contribute to a further reduction of the amount of injuries and fatalities in frontal collisions. The most important achievement of the project is the introduction of an improved a frontal impact crash test dummy with realistic movements and injury indicating measurements for future automotive crash testing. The FID consortium has defined the requirements for an advanced frontal impact dummy based on new biomechanical and accident investigations and has recommended a design that meets the demands in terms of biofidelity, anthropometry, durability and injury assessment capabilities. The FID consortium consisted of six experienced and multidisciplinary partners from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. An important dimension within the project was that of harmonisation of safety regulations world-wide and in particular between Europe and the United States. The results identified of the FID project as defined in the Technical implementation plan are: 1. Identification of the principal occupant injuries in frontal impact car crashes and the injuries for which a legislative frontal impact dummy should have the capability to measure injury risk. Owners: BASt and TRL 2. New biomechanical data concerning the behaviour of the human thorax/shoulder, pelvis/femur/knee and the lower leg during frontal impacts. Owners: INRETS, UPM, UoH, TNO and TRL 3. Set of requirements for frontal impact dummies, consisting of biofidelity requirements for all important body parts, repeatability, durability and anthropometry requirements based on the most recent biomechanical data. Owners: TNO, BASt, INRETS, UPM, UoH and TRL 4. Review and revise (where appropriate) injury assessment values for a legislative frontal impact dummy, with special focus on the lower leg. Owners: TNO and TRL 5. A prototype instrumented frontal impact dummy (THOR-FT), based on the THOR-Alpha design, 50th percentile male. Suitable for inclusion in the Frontal Directive as successor of the Hybrid-III dummy. Owners: BASt, UPM, TNO and TRL. With the IPR at TNO 6. A computer model of the THOR-Alpha. Owners: UPM, TNO and TRL. With the IPR at UPM and TNO Searching for OpenAIRE data... There was an error trying to search data from OpenAIRE No results available
